Machinery for rolling wi re



. (N 0 Model.)

W. H. JACKSON, Jr.

MACHINERY FOR ROLLING WIRE.

Patented May 20, 1884.

INVENTOR:

BY a ATTORNEYS.

N. PETER$ Pljmtwlhhngmphnr. Washington. D, c

' nirrn rains a'rnnir rricno WILLIAM H. JACKSON, J 1%., OF TRENTON, NEXV JERSEY.

MACHINERY FOR ROLLBNG WIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,977, dated May 20, 1884.

Application filed September 27, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. J AOKSON, J r., of Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented new and Improved Machinery for Rolling Wire, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

In the ordinary process of making wire the series of grooved rollers used are placed end to end, and the wire is passed from roller to roller in a tortuous course by attendants arranged on opposite sides of the rollers, and the wire is passed backward and forward through the grooves made in the rollers, which grooves gradually diminish in size, so that the wire may be reduced to about three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. Owing to the rapidity with which the wire cools when it reaches a small diameter, and the extent of wire necessarily exposed in passing from roller to roller, and the slowness of the operation, it is impractical by the old process to roll the wire downto aless diameter than that mentioned, so that if smaller wire is desired, after reaching a diameter of about threesixteenths of an inch, the wire has to be re: moved from the rollers and reduced to the desired size by the well-known process of drawing, which is slow and expensive. Another disadvantage of the old process lies in the fact that, besides having to have a man stationed at each bend in the wire for holding it out away from the rollers, two other men have to be employed for passing the end of the wire back and forth between the series of rollers. By my new method I am able to practically roll wire down to a diameter of about one-eighth of an inch, thus saving the expense of draw ing for that diameter of wire and much time and expense in the drawing process in making smaller wire. I also save extra hands, there being required by my process only one man to each set of rollers.

My method consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which the figure shows, in section and side elevation only the plant employed in carrying out the new part of the process, it being deemed 5o unnecessary to show the old arrangement of rollers.

In carrying my invention into effect, I first pass the heated billet of iron, from which the wire is to be rolled, backward and forwardin the ordinary way between the ordinary rollers, until the billet is rolled down to arod or wire of a quarter of an inch or less in. diame ter. Then I start one end of this rod or wire between the rollers A A, in the grooves c a, made therein, and carry it thence to the similar grooves in the rollers B B, which grooves are smaller than those in rollers A A, thence to the grooves in rollers G G, thence through the furnace D, where the wire is heated, and then on to the grooves made in the rollers E E, FF, and G G. There may be as many sets of rollers in front of and beyond the furnace D as may be found necessary, and the grooves are made successively smaller in the different sets of rollers, and the rollers are all kept in simultaneous operation, so that the wire will be carried rapidly along and made gradually smaller until reduced to the proper size, and instead of one furnace D there may be two or more placed at proper intervals along the train of rollers, according to the length of wire to be made. The sets of rollers are journaled in suitable uprights, H H, and may be operated by any form of separate motor; but I prefer to use the small steam-engines J, a separate engine being used for each set of rollers. These engines in this instance are attached to the uprights H, and are connected to the lower rollers, each by the connectingrod K, attached at one end to the piston-rod of the engine and at the other to the crankwheel L, secured to the gudgeon or shaft of each of the lower rollers. The speed of each engineJ is separately controllable by lever M and rod 0, that connects the lever with the valve-rod N. This is to enable the sets of rollers to be operated with variable speeds, so that the wire need not slack between the sets of rollers as it is gradually made smaller and lengthened 5 and to give the attendants a still better control of the rollers I provide each lever M with abrake-shoe, 1?,which is adapted,

-when lever M is depressed for cutting off the required size by the ordinary drawing process.

scribed, and the situation of the furnace will steam from the engine, to come upon the crankwheelL, and thus serve as a brake to the rollers. After passing through the train of rollers, the wire will be reduced to a diameter of about one-eighth of an inch. If the wire is to be made smaller, it is then to be drawn to the It will be understood that the rolling process is much more rapidiand much cheaper than the drawing process. The main advantage of my process over the old process therefore is that by my process it is practicable to reduce the wire by rolling much smaller than it can be done by the old process, thus avoidi ng much labor in drawing.

When a mill is to be built entirely on my plan, all of the sets of rollers will be arranged one in front of the other, and the billet from the start will be passed through them in a dircet line; but when my system is applied to old mills, the billet will be passed backward and forward betweenthe old rollers, as above devary according to that of the rollers.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a pair of wire-reducing rollers 'mounted in suitable uprights, 30 and one of said rollers having a crank-Wheel,

L, of the engine J, above said rollers and connected with the crank-wheel by its piston and the connecting-rod K, and a lever, M,'pivoted on the upright and connected to the valve-rod 3 5 N by rodO, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a pair of wire-reducing rollers, of the engine J, the lever M, and brake-shoe P, the lever being connected to adapt it for cutting off steam to the engine, 40 and at the same time for applying a brake to the wheel L, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

ILLIAMH. JACKSON, JR.

\Vitnesses: SAMUEL XV. MAYENOE, JOHN W. HASTED. 

